WETMORE, Colo. (KRDO) -- Beginning January 1, there will be no more ambulances coming to the town of Wetmore in Custer County.
That's the reality after town residents voted not to join the West Custer County Hospital District in Westcliffe. The people of Wetmore say it wasn't that simple.
"We're in a tough situation where we're at," Kevin Day said. "But this was not a viable option."
On November 3, the voters in Wetmore rejected the ballot measure which would've had them join and pay the West Custer County Hospital District. It failed 147-89.
A group of residents say it could take anywhere from 30 to 45 minutes on a good today for an ambulance to come from the hospital in Westcliffe to Wetmore thanks to the twisty turvy road through Hardscrabble Canyon.
"In America today, if you call 911, you think somebody is going to show up," Carol Vayhinger said. "You know, we just don't have any concept of that."
Another neighbor says in that 30 to 45 minute period, they could get themselves somewhere faster.
"In the 45 minutes it takes for you to be here, we can be at the emergency room in Cañon City or in Pueblo," Day said.
The group also took issue with a tax increase, of which only part would go to the EMS service. Now, voters are planning to fill that gap themselves. Many say they're creating phone chains with neighbors and stocking up on first aid supplies to fill the gap.
"We're putting together first aid kits," Jack Vayhinger said. "We've started training for jus the first aid course and CPR and things like that."
"For some of us, that has been a reality here multiple times throughout the years to where we have loaded our family, our loved ones, our neighbors up, and we have hauled them in to the hospital because that is what we had, and that will likely be what we have again, at least in the short term, " Day said.
According to the Hospital District, it receives 15 residential calls from east Custer County annually, compared to 13 car crashes in the Hardscrabble Canyon. Ron Terry, chairman of the Hospital District gave KRDO13 the following statement about the decision:
"We receive approx. 15 residential calls from East Custer County annually. We also respond to approx. 13 MVAs in Hardscrable Canyon each year. Effective, 1 January 2027, Custer County EMS will not respond to residential emergent calls outside our Special District. We are saddened that the folks in the Wetmore area do not want to take advantage of the outstanding, award winning medical services provided by our EMS team."
The hospital board chair told KRDO13 they will continue to respond to calls in Hardscrabble Canyon, which is a popular drive for motorcyclists and car clubs.
Nearby Florence Fire and EMS Chief Bill Ritter says they can't provide EMS coverage to Florence and Wetmore in their current setup:
"The Florence Fire Protection District Board of Directors was contacted about providing EMS service to the Wetmore area. There were discussions and it was determined that the Florence Fire Protection District would not be able to provide this service as well as respond to emergencies in our district. We have experienced an increase in EMS calls for service in our primary response area and are committed to providing the needed coverage to the tax payors and residents of the Florence Fire Protection District.
Providing coverage for Wetmore in the future would require a funding resource and approval from the taxpayers of the Florence Fire Protection District as they trust the Florence Fire Protection District to spend their money as intended.
As for fire calls the Florence Fire Protection District and the Wetmore Volunteer Fire Department have a mutual aid agreement for fire calls. We do assist them and they assist us when needed. The most recent being the Aspen Acres fire.
For some history, the Florence Volunteer Fire Department started their own EMS in 1953 and were separate from the Florence Fire Protection District. These volunteers provided the ambulance service until the FFPD took over EMS in 2022. In 2019 the Florence Volunteer Fire Department stopped running EMS calls in Custer County, where Wetmore is located. This was due to the difficulty in finding volunteers to respond to calls and an increase in EMS call volume."
An AMR wing in Cañon City says there are no current plans for them to assume the EMS services in the Wetmore area. A spokesperson gave the following statement to KRDO13:
"At this time, there are no active plans for AMR to assume responsibility for EMS services in the Wetmore area. AMR remains committed to supporting communities across the region and is always willing to work collaboratively with local stakeholders to help address emergency medical service needs when appropriate.
As part of Global Medical Response, AMR has access to a broad network of emergency medical resources, including air medical services through REACH Air Medical Services. Should local partners identify a need for additional support, AMR would be willing to engage in discussions and explore how our ground and air resources may complement existing emergency response capabilities, particularly for higher-acuity patients requiring advanced transport."
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The post Wetmore residents reject ballot measure leaving town without local EMS in 2027 appeared first on KRDO.
